6th century BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	7th century BC; 6th century BC; 5th century BC;
Timelines:	7th century BC; 6th century BC; 5th century BC;
State leaders:	7th century BC; 6th century BC; 5th century BC;
Decades:	590s BC; 580s BC; 570s BC; 560s BC; 550s BC; 540s BC; 530s BC; 520s BC; 510s BC; 500s BC;
Categories:	Births – Deaths ; Establishments – Disestablishments

The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC.

This century represents the peak of a period in human history popularly known as Axial Age. This period saw the emergence of five major thought streams springing from five great thinkers in different parts of the world: Buddha and Mahavira in India, Zoroaster in Persia, Pythagoras in Greece and Confucius in China. Pāṇini, in India, composed a grammar for Sanskrit, in this century or slightly later.^[1] This is the oldest still known grammar of any language.

In Western Asia, the first half of this century was dominated by the Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean empire, which had risen to power late in the previous century after successfully rebelling against Assyrian rule. The Kingdom of Judah came to an end in 586 BC when Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II captured Jerusalem, and removed most of its population to their own lands. Babylonian rule was ended in the 540s by Cyrus, who founded the Persian Empire in its place. The Persian Empire continued to expand and grew into the greatest empire the world had known at the time.

In Iron Age Europe, the Celtic expansion was in progress. China was in the Spring and Autumn period.

Mediterranean: Beginning of Greek philosophy, flourishes during the 5th century BC
The late Hallstatt culture period in Eastern and Central Europe, the late Bronze Age in Northern Europe
East Asia: the Spring and Autumn period. Confucianism, Legalism and Moism flourish. Laozi founds Taoism
West Asia: During the Persian empire, Zoroaster, a.k.a. Zarathustra, founded Zoroastrianism, a dualistic philosophy. This was also the time of the Babylonian captivity of the ancient Jews.
Ancient India: the Buddha and Mahavira found Buddhism and Jainism
The decline of the Olmec civilization in Central America

Events[edit]

590s BC[edit]

Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta

Mid-6th century BC: Foundation of Temple of Olympian Zeus (Athens).
598 BC: Jehoiachin succeeds Jehoiakim as King of Judah.
16 March 597 BC: Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king.
595 BC: Psammetichus II succeeds Necho II as King of Egypt.
594 BC: Solon appointed Archon of Athens; institutes democratic reforms.
590 BC: Egyptian army sacks Napata, compelling the Cushite court to move to a more secure location at Meroe near the sixth Cataract.^[2]

580s BC[edit]

An engraving on an eye stone of onyx with an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II

Medieval image of Thales

589 BC: Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as King of Egypt.
588 BC: Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon begins siege of Jerusalem; some sources set the date at 587 BC.
587 BC/586 BC: Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, ending the Kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy the Solomon's Temple and exile the land's remaining inhabitants. Babylonian Captivity for the Jews began.
586 BC: death of King Ding of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China
28 May 585 BC: A solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares. This leads to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
585 BC/584 BC: Astyages succeeds Cyaxares as King of the Medes.
585 BC: King Jian of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty.
583 BC: Babylonians begins siege against Tyre.
582 BC: Pythian Games founded at Delphi (traditional date).
580 BC: Cambyses I succeeds Cyrus I as King of Anshan and head of the Achaemenid dynasty (approximate date).
580 BC: Isthmian Games founded at Corinth (traditional date)

570s BC[edit]

579 BC: Servius Tullius succeeds the assassinated Lucius Tarquinius Priscus as King of Rome (traditional date).
573 BC: Nemean Games founded at Nemea (traditional date).
572 BC: Death of King Jian of Zhou, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
571 BC: King Ling of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
570 BC: Amasis II succeeds Apries as King of Egypt.
570 BC: Pythagoras of Samos is born (approximate date).
570 BC: End of the Babylonian siege against the city of Tyre with a partial victory by the Babylonians. It was the longest siege of the city in history, lasting 13 years.

560s BC[edit]

Croesus on the pyre, Attic red-figure amphora

Faravahar, a symbol of Zoroastrianism in Persepolis

568 BC: Amtalqa succeeds his brother Aspelta as King of Kush.
562 BC: Amel-Marduk succeeds Nebuchadnezzar as King of Babylon.
560 BC: Neriglissar succeeds Amel-Marduk as King of Babylon.
560 BC/561 BC: Croesus becomes King of Lydia.
560 BC: Pisistratus seizes the Acropolis of Athens and declares himself tyrant. He is deposed in the same year.

550s BC[edit]

550s BC: Carthage conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
559 BC: King Cambyses I of Anshan dies and is succeeded by his son Cyrus II the Great.
558 BC: Hegesias removed as Archon of Athens.
558 BC: The Chinese state of Jin defeats its rival Qin in battle.
556 BC: Pisistratus is exiled from Athens to Euboea.
556 BC: Labashi-Marduk succeeds Neriglissar as King of Babylon.
556 BC/555 BC: Nabonidus succeeds Labashi-Marduk as King of Babylon.
550 BC: Abdera is destroyed by the Thracians.
550 BC: Cyrus II the Great overthrows Astyages of the Medes, establishing the Persian Empire.
550 BC: The Late Mumun Period begins in the Korean peninsula.

540s BC[edit]

547 BC: Croesus, Lydian King, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys.
546 BC: Cyrus of Persia completes his conquest of Lydia, and makes Pasargadae his capital.
544 BC: People of Teos migrate to Abdera, Thrace to escape the yoke of Persia.
544 BC: King Jing of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
543 BC: Prince Vijaya establishes a Sinhalese dynasty of Sri Lanka.
543 BC: Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, purifies the island of Delos (approximate date).
540 BC: Greek city of Elea of southern Italy founded (approximate date).
540 BC: Persians conquer Lycian city of Xanthos, now in southern Turkey (approximate date).

530s BC[edit]

Tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae

539 BC: Babylon is conquered by Cyrus the Great, defeating Nabonidus.
538 BC: Return of some Jews from Babylonian exile who build the Second Temple about seventy years after the destruction of the First Temple, from 520 BC–516 BC.
537 BC: Jews transported to Babylon are allowed to return to Jerusalem, bringing to a close the Babylonian captivity.
536 BC: According to tradition, the Biblical prophet Daniel receives an angelic visitor.^[3]
534 BC: Lucius Tarquinius Superbus becomes King of Rome.
534 BC: Competitions for tragedy are instituted at the City Dionysia festival in Athens.
530 BC: Cambyses II succeeds Cyrus as King of Persia.

520s BC[edit]

Gautama Buddha

528 BC: Gautama Buddha attains Enlightenment, and begins his ministry. He founds Buddhism in India. It becomes a major world religion.
526 BC: Psammetichus III succeeds Amasis II as King of Egypt.
525 BC: Cambyses II, ruler of Persia, conquers Egypt, defeating Psammetichus III. This is considered the end of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, and the start of the Twenty-seventh Dynasty.
522 BC: Smerdis succeeds Cambyses II as ruler of Persia.
522 BC: Babylon rebels against Persian rule.
521 BC: Darius I succeeds Smerdis as ruler of Persia.
521 BC: The Babylonian rebellion against Persian rule is suppressed
520 BC: King Dao of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China but dies before the end of the year
520 BC: Cleomenes I succeeds Anaxandridas II as King of Sparta (approximate date)

510s BC[edit]

Image of Laozi

519 BC: King Jing of Zhou becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
516 BC: Indian subcontinent—Occupation of Punjab is completed by the Persian King Vistaspa.
12 March 515 BC: Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem.
514 BC: King Helü of Wu establishes the "Great City of Helü", the ancient name for Wuxi, as his capital in China.
513 BC: Darius the Great subdues the Getae and east Thrace in his war against the Scythians.
512 BC: The Kingdom of Macedonia, under King Amyntas I, becomes a vassal state to the Achaemenid Empire.
510 BC: Hippias, son of Pisistratus and tyrant of Athens, is expelled by a popular revolt supported by Cleomenes I, King of Sparta and his forces.
510 BC: End of reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, last King of the traditional seven Kings of Rome.
510 BC: Establishment of the Roman Republic.
510 BC: Demaratus succeeds Ariston as King of Sparta (approximate date).

500s BC[edit]

13 September 509 BC: The Temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the Ides of September.
508 BC: Office of pontifex maximus created in Rome.
507 BC: Cleisthenes, Greek reformer, takes power and increases democracy.
506 BC: Battle of Boju: Forces of the Kingdom of Wu under Sun Tzu defeat the forces of Chu.
505 BC: First pair of Roman consuls elected.
4 December 502 BC: Solar eclipse darkens Egypt (computed, no clear historical record of observation).
502 BC: The Latin League defeats the Etruscans under Lars Porsena at Aricia.
502 BC: Naxos rebels against Persian domination sparking the Ionian Revolt.
501 BC: Cleisthenes reforms democracy in Athens.
501 BC: Naxos is attacked by the Persian Empire.
501 BC: In response to threats by the Sabines, Rome creates the office of dictator.
501 BC: Confucius is appointed governor of Chung tu.
501 BC: Gadir (present-day Cádiz) is captured by Carthage (approximate date).
500 BC: Bantu-speaking people migrate into south-west Uganda from the west (approximate date).
500 BC: Refugees from Teos resettle Abdera.
500 BC: Darius I of Persia proclaims that Aramaic be the official language of the western half of his empire.
500 BC: Signifies the end of the Nordic Bronze Age civilization in Oscar Montelius periodization system and begins the Pre-Roman Iron Age.
500 BC: Foundation of first republic in Vaishali Bihar India.

Unknown Events[edit]

Persians begin to seize power.
Persians dominate eastern Mediterranean.
The Persians under Darius I and later Cyrus invade Transoxiana.
Carthage's merchant empire slowly dominates the western Mediterranean.
Tao Te Ching written (traditional date).
Confucius formulates his ethical system of Confucianism, which proves highly influential in China.
The Sinhalese emigrate to Sri Lanka.
Apparent writing of the Book of Psalms.
Abkhazia is colonized by the Greeks.
Emergence of the Proto-Germanic Jastorf culture.
Temple B, Selinus, Sicily, is built.
The Autariatae communities united and expanded towards the Triballi in the east and the Ardiaei in the south.

Significant people[edit]

Political leaders[edit]

Amyntas I, King of Macedonia
Astyages, King of Medes
Bias of Priene, Greek sage
Callimachus, Athenian general
Cambyses II, King of Persia
Chilon of Sparta, Greek sage
Cleisthenes, Tyrant of Athens
Cleomenes I, King of Sparta
Croesus, King of Lydia
Cyaxares, King of Medes
Cyrus the Great, King of Persia
Darius I, King of Persia
Epimenides, Greek seer
Gorgo, Queen of Sparta
King Helü of Wu, King of Wu
Lucius Junius Brutus, co-founder of the Roman Republic
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, King of Rome
Miltiades, Athenian general and politician
Nabonidus, the last King of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon
Necho II, Pharaoh of Egypt
Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens
Periander, Tyrant of Corinth
Pittacus of Mytilene, Greek politician
Psammetichus III, Pharaoh of Egypt
Servius Tullius, King of Rome
Solon, Athenian statesman

Arts and entertainment[edit]

Ageladas, Greek sculptor
Epiktetos, Greek vase painter
Exekias, Greek vase painter
Kleitias, Greek vase painter
Kritios, Greek sculptor
Lydos, Greek vase painter
Nearchos, Greek vase painter
Nikosthenes, Greek vase painter
Oltos, Greek vase painter
Phintias, Greek vase painter
Psiax, Greek vase painter

Literature[edit]

Aeschylus, Greek playwright
Aesop, Greek fabulist
Alcaeus of Mytilene, Greek poet
Anacreon, Greek poet
Cleobulus, Greek poet
Corinna, Greek poet
Epimenides, Greek poet
Ibycus, Greek poet
Theognis of Megara, Greek poet
Thespis, founder of Greek theatre
Pāṇini, Indian linguist
Pindar, Greek poet
Sappho, Greek poet
Stesichorus, Greek poet
Simonides of Ceos, Greek poet
Sun Tzu, Chinese writer and general

Philosophy and religion[edit]

Anaximander, Greek philosopher
Anaximenes of Miletus, Greek philosopher
Confucius, founder of Confucianism
Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism
Ezekiel, Hebrew prophet
Heraclitus, Greek philosopher
Hippasus, Greek philosopher
Laozi, founder of Taoism
Mahavira, founder of Jain philosophy
Pherecydes of Syros, Greek philosopher
Pythagoras, Greek philosopher, mathematician
Scylax of Caryanda, Greek explorer
Thales, Greek mathematician
Xenophanes, Greek philosopher
Zoroaster, founder of Zoroastrianism

Sports[edit]

Arrhichion, Greek pankratiast
Cimon Coalemos, Greek chariot racer
Epitelidas of Laconia, Greek runner
Glycon of Croton, Greek runner
Milo of Croton, Greek wrestler
Phanas of Pellene, Greek runner
Pythagoras of Samos, Greek boxer
Timasitheus of Delphi, Greek pankratiast

Inventions, discoveries, introductions[edit]

First archaeological surveys of the Arabian peninsula by Babylonian King Nabonidus
Sunshu Ao (孫叔敖), China's first hydraulic engineer, creates an enormous artificial reservoir by damming a river for a massive irrigation project while employed in the service of King Zhuang of Chu (died 591 BC)
Lost-wax casting is spread to Ancient Greece